> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi, I'm sure this topic has been addressed in one form or another on
> the net. I've done some searching and found many threads about ice
> cream.
>
> The question I pose is pretty specific (in my mind) though. Does
> anyone else remember the vanilla ice cream that little old ladies made
> at church functions / social events? I can envision a certain taste,
> a
> certain texture that I still long for to this day. It's been at least
> 15 years since I had such an ice cream.
>
> In an attempt to recreate my childhood memory, I bought a "bachelor"
> ice cream maker, VillaWare brand, but it's just not the same. Maybe
> the maker has nothing to do with it.
>
> I'm using a simple vanilla recipe from a Ben and Jerry's recipe book.
> Heavy whipping cream, milk, vanilla, sugar, eggs. Very
> straightforward, but it comes nowhere near the taste I'm looking for.
>
> If there are any old church ladies who know how to help me, I
> appreciate it! If I need to buy an old hand cranking machine and take
> an hour to prepare the mixture, I'm willing to do it.
>
> Kevin
>

Is it the taste that's lacking, or the texture? Even if it's the latter,
I still think it's your recipe, not your machine.

I have no idea what church lady ice cream tastes like. Did they use
vanilla beans (black specks)? Did you? Did they use eggs (was it white
or yellowish)?

You can try some different recipes. An eggless one would be the most
radical difference. (Here's a basic uncooked Philly-style one:
http://cake.allrecipes.com/AZ/VanillaIceCream.asp)

You're probably battling against nostalgia here, and that's a tough
battle to win.

-T